Tucson Pride Parade

The annual parade will take place on Country Club Rd, beginning at Broadway and ending in Reid Park. While the pride parades of the modern era have taken on more of a celebratory tone, the focus of these parades continues to be firmly rooted in promoting the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. Here in Tucson, our parade has grown to include a diverse representation of LGBTQ+ organizations, social groups, nonprofit organizations, various faith communities, business entities, and civic leaders. Last year’s parade featured 56 contingents made up of hundreds of individuals from all walks of life. As we continue this extraordinary tradition, let us celebrate our story while at the same time encompassing the original spirit of the early Gay Liberation Marches. TUCSON PRIDE IS SEEKING PARADE ENTRIES! SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFO!

STONEWALL: HALF A CENTURY OF PRIDE

Five decades ago, something extraordinary unfolded at the Stonewall Inn. Situated in New York’s Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn was more than a gay bar. It was a safe haven for an assortment of patrons and was known to be popular among the poorest and most marginalized people in the gay community: drag queens, transgender people, racial and ethnic minorities, gay men, lesbians, sex workers, and homeless youth. The Stonewall Inn was routinely subjected to police raids. These raids can best be characterized as acts of intimidation, extortion, and police brutality. Often time, patrons who were spared from arrest, quickly left the establishment upon being released by police.

The raid of June 28, 1969 did not unfold as expected. Unlike previous raids, patrons did not leave the area. Police quickly found themselves outnumbered and retreated into the bar to await reinforcements. Following the lead of Marsha P. Johnson; a transgender woman of color, the residents of Christopher Street rebelled. The Stonewall Riots continued for three days and led to the formation of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), an assortment of LGBTQ+ neighborhood groups and activists. The first Gay Pride marches were held in 1970, on the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. These marches have since become an integral tradition across the United States and around the world.

While the pride parades of the modern era have taken on more of a celebratory tone, the focus of these parades continues to be firmly rooted in promoting the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. Here in Tucson, our parade has grown to include a diverse representation of LGBTQ+ organizations, social groups, nonprofit organizations, various faith communities, business entities, and civic leaders. Last year’s parade featured 56 contingents made up of hundreds of individuals from all walks of life. As we continue this extraordinary tradition, let us celebrate our story while at the same time encompassing the original spirit of the early Gay Liberation Marches.

While the LGBTQ+ rights movement has made an unfathomable amount of progress over five decades, much remains to be done. Our community has not yet achieved full recognition as true equals among our fellow citizens. With that in mind, let us march this year with a renewed focus on community activism and the indispensable role that it holds in the pursuit of equality. Happy Pride!